Heart of Midlothian head coach Steven Naismith confirmed Kyosuke Tagawa is set to leave the club with the club having accepted a bid.

The Japanese forward will return to his homeland and join Kashima Antlers for a six-figure fee after struggling to hold down a regular spot in the team.

Tagawa joined 12 months ago on a three-year deal but scored just three goals in his first season, including two in the final two games of the 2023/24 campaign. He was not in the squad for the first game of the season against Rangers on Saturday.

"We got a bid we felt was acceptable and after speaking to him it became clear it was going to be the best move for everybody," Naismith said.

"He's somebody who has been unfortunate in that he lacked in minutes he wanted and needed. As a person, professionalism, and character were all fantastic. He was good to work with. He wasn't any problem when he wasn't getting game time but after that, we all spoke about it and it is probably something that suits everybody."

Meanwhile, Hearts are progressing with the signing of Andres Salazar. The club had a meeting with the Scottish FA on Thursday to get a Governing Body Exemption which would allow the left-back to play in the country. That has now been granted.

Naismith revealed that "both clubs are there" with everybody involved "on the same page".

"We just need to do the paperwork, the issues with visas and work permits and that. I don't expect anything to happen until next week to confirm it. Every day there are things going on in the background to get that done."